Tevez, 27, has played an integral part in City's success this season and after helping the club end their 35-year trophy drought with victory in the FA Cup last Saturday, manager Roberto Mancini insisted the former Manchester United man was staying at Eastlands.

"Carlos has told me he wants to stay," Mancini said. ''I have spoken with him many times in the last 20 days and my opinion is he will stay. He has a five-year contract and has told us he wants to stay. He said that before. He never had any problem."

Tevez initially concurred with Mancini's assessment, claiming the chance to overhaul former club United provided him with a great incentive to stay.

But the striker, who handed in a transfer request in December before later withdrawing it, appears to have once again made up his mind that a new challenge is what he requires.

"I want to leave Manchester City," Tevez told Radio del Plata. "Football has changed a lot for me and I don't know if I will even make it to the next World Cup.

"And that has nothing to do with whether I'm selected or not. I've been treated very well here and I'm grateful.
I also gave my everything for the club to receive the results it has had. But I need a change of scene."

The likes of Inter Milan and Real Madrid have been linked with the Argentina ace, who is believed to have turned down a massive new deal from City worth £300,000 earlier in the season.

Tevez's 21 goals this term have fired City into the Champions League for the first time in their history and his brace against Stoke on Tuesday has helped put the club on the brink of automatic qualification for the group stage of the competition ahead of Arsenal.

As well as interest from Italy and Spain, Tevez's former club Boca Juniors are reportedly ready to offer him a chance to return to his homeland, though the forward admitted the Argentinian side may not be able to afford him.

"To go back to Boca Juniors would be beautiful but it is very difficult," Tevez said. "I spoke to their midfielder Roman Riquelme and, messing around, we agreed I would go back one day. But if we're speaking seriously, financial issues would make my return difficult."

If City agree to let their prized asset go, his last game could be this Sunday's trip to Bolton and his last action could be to win the Premier League top scorer's crown - Tevez is currently level on 21 goals with Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov.